Oregon Ducks
Pac-10 (26-7, 11-7)
Seed: #3
Midwest Region
RPI: 21
Big Wins:
11/29 at Georgetown (57-50), 1/6 UCLA (68-66), 1/14 at Arizona (79-77)
Bad Losses:
1/25 at Washington (77-89), 2/15 at California (61-63), 2/17 at Stanford
(69-88)
Last NCAA
Appearance: 2003, First Round loss to Utah
Coach:
Ernie Kent (3-4 in 4 NCAA appearances)
Probable
Starters:
Aaron Brooks,
Senior, Guard, 17.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 4.6 rpg
Tajuan Porter,
Freshman, Guard, 14.4 ppg, 2.1 apg
Bryce Taylor,
Junior, Guard, 14.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg
Malik Hairston,
Junior, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Marty Leunen,
Junior, Forward, 10.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Key
Roleplayers:
Chamberlain
Oguchi, Junior, Guard, 5.4 pg, 1.9 rpg
Chuchill Odia,
Sophomore, Guard, 1.8 ppg, 0.9 apg
Adam Zahn,
Senior, Forward, 2.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Joevan Catron,
Freshman, Forward, 3.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Why They Can
Surprise:
What the
backcourt lacks in size, they make up for in speed. Aaron Brooks, Bryce
Taylor, Tajuan Porter, Malik Hairston and Chamberlain Oguchi comprise one of
the most dynamic perimeter groups in the nation. The Ducks depend on the
three ball and all five, especially Porter and Brooks, are capable outside
shooters. With good outside shooting comes good free throw shooting and,
with the exception of Hairston, the Ducks are among the best in the nation
in that category.
Even if leading
scorer Brooks happens to have a bad day, there are so many scoring options
residing in Eugene. The Ducks have five players averaging double-digit
scoring and eight players capable of putting up 15 points on any given
night.
Why They Can
Disappoint:
The Ducks only
play one forward, but Marty Leunen has done a splendid job holding down the
fort under the basket averaging 10.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. Yet, facing a
bigger team can cause some problems. If the opposing forwards can handle the
speed of the Ducks, the mismatch will not favor Ernie Kent’s squad. Only
playing one forward is due to the depth of the backcourt, not the weakness
of the frontcourt. Senior Adam Zahn and freshman Joevan Catron have proven
to be quality options off the bench and, if we go even further down the
bench, Ray Schafer and Mitch Platt are experienced players who can handle
the pressure of the NCAA Tournament. Surprisingly, the Ducks do not let the
undersized issue get to them on the glass. Oregon is a solid rebounding team
on both sides of the floor.
Who To
Watch:
For the prior
two seasons the Ducks lost close games early in the season and never
recovered. This year, the Ducks won those close games and started the season
winning 19 of 20 games. The difference is the maturation of Brooks. The 6-0
senior is taking smarter shots and making better passes. Brooks has only
scored less than ten points four times all season, but it is his
leadership that the Ducks need. The only concern is Brooks is averaging 36.8
minutes per game. His legs have not tired yet, but it remains to be seen if
he has the energy to survive through the tournament.
Joel’s
Bracket Says: Elite Eight loss to Florida
